UPDATE: The Beatles confirm online music plans

Neil Aspinall confirmed the Beatles will release their digitally remastered back catalogue through online music services - eventually.

By
Jonny Evans
, | 12 Apr 06

The Beatles may be preparing to release their music through digital music services, reports claim.

Speaking during the Apple Corps versus Apple Computer trial in the UK High Court last week, Apple Corps label boss Neil Aspinall confirmed the plans. A spokeswoman for Apple Corps told Macworld UK that Aspinall made these statements during the case.

Aspinall said that Apple Corps is remastering the Beatles catalogue to make it sound better and that it is assembling digital booklets to accompany the downloads.

"I think it would be wrong to offer downloads of the old masters when I am making new masters. It would be better to wait and try to do them both simultaneously so that you then get the publicity of the new masters and the downloading, rather than just doing it ad hoc," he said.

The surviving Beatles have held back from releasing their tracks through online services so far, and to finally unleash them could be a pivotal moment for legitimate services.

The current court case shows they are aware that such services exist. Paul McCartney even gave video iPods away to everyone who accompanied him on his US tour last year.

Apple Corps has since confirmed that Aspinall's statements as reported are correct. While the label declined to commit to any time schedule for the plans, it did reveal them to be just one of several initiatives the label has in hand.